Basic Education post-NGC, on ANAs in particular Extracts from document and reports of the ANC NGC, concluded yesterday, 12 October 2015 President Jacob Zuma's Closing Remarks to the NGC Education The ANC has called for a speedy review of the powers of the school governing bodies, the fast-tracking of the introduction of inspectors in schools, and to build more schools in villages and townships especially special schools. The NGC has also expressed support to the Annual National Assessments in schools and have urged that challenges relating to its implementation must be resolved. The NGC has welcomed the launch of operation Phakisa on Information and Communication Technologies in schools and has urged the use of ICT nationally in our schools. We need to confront the findings that black African children receive three and half hours of teaching per day as opposed to six and a half hours in former whites-only schools as revealed in a study. This results in a three year gap in their schooling career. In this regard, let me reiterate our call to all teachers to be in school, on time, in class, on task teaching for at least seven hours a day. The ANC will engage SADTU in this regard. The NGC will intensify the implementation of programmes to curb the scourge of teenage pregnancy, and such programmes will target both the boy and girl child. <http://mg.co.za/article/2015-10-11-the-resolutions-adopted-by-the-anc> Mail and Guardian <http://mg.co.za/article/2015-10-11-the-resolutions-adopted-by-the-anc> In addition, the Annual National Assessments won't be scrapped. This is despite teachers union Sadtu opposing it fiercely. The chair of this subcommittee Naledi Pandor said everyone, including trade union federation COSATU, agreed that it is needed in schools. And will South African schools be teaching Mandarin? It is not clear yet, but delegates have pushed for Swahili to be taught instead. <http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/anas-an-important-strategy-ngc-1.1928104 #.Vhs4rvmqqko> ANAs an important strategy: NGC <http://www.iol.co.za/news/politics/anas-an-important-strategy-ngc-1.1928104 #.Vhs4rvmqqko> Getrude Makhafola, IOL, Johannesburg, 11 October 2015 The African National Congress's national general council (NGC) has resolved that the basic education department forge ahead with the annual national assessments (ANAs), the party's education, health, and technology subcommittee said on Sunday. "The commission has affirmed the importance of ANAs. We cannot stop such an important strategy in basic education," chairwoman Naledi Pandor said at the NGC meeting in Midrand, Johannesburg. Teacher's unions have opposed implementation of the ANAs, citing issues in education that need to be attended to first. The ANAs were supposed to take place in November. "Where there may be disputes on its implementation processes there are processes of review which have already been set in motion to resolve them. but we cannot allow the dropping of ANAs," Pandor said. None of the tri-partite alliance members within the commission opposed the resolution, she said. "Not a single one of the alliance partners stood up against this. Our view is that this is an important strategy for education; other countries do it," Pandor said. African News Agency <http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ANC-presses-ahead-with-NHI-ANAs-2015 1011> ANC presses ahead with [ <http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/ANC-presses-ahead-with-NHI-ANAs-2015 1011> .] ANAs Hlengiwe Nhlabathi, News24, Johannesburg, 11 October 2015 The party also wants the Department of Basic Education to forge ahead with the ANAs despite stiff opposition from teacher unions which led to the postponements of the tests to next year., ANC NEC member Naledi Pandor told journalists during a report back on Education, Health, Science and Technology. . the ANC flexed more of its muscle when it endorsed the ANAs which had pitted Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga against teacher unions. The SA Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) and the National Professional Teachers Organisation of South Africa (NAPTOSA) last month raised concerns about the frequency of the testing and the demands on administration. This led Motshekga to postpone assessments until next year. Learners were supposed to have sat for the ANAs last month but the unions complained about their readiness. Pandor said not a single member of the alliance partners came out to speak against pressing ahead with the ANAs. "The view was that this is an important strategy. Where there are disagreements and concerns about implementation, the process of review has been set in motion and we must allow it. That process should not make us detract from ANAs. That was the strong sentiment and it was supported," she said. A task team of department officials and unions will consider proposals for re-designing the assessments to be relaunched next year. <http://www.techcentral.co.za/education-could-do-better-says-pandor/60445/> TechCentral2.png Tech Central <http://www.techcentral.co.za/education-could-do-better-says-pandor/60445/> Presenting a report on basic education, higher education, health and science & technology, science & technology minister Naledi Pandor said more could be done to improve South Africa's education system. She said the language issue was also discussed. "Especially Mandarin, there were lots of discussions around it. Swahili also came up as a strong call by many of our comrades." She said the commission and plenary had strongly affirmed the annual national assessment and gave it the go ahead because it was a very important intervention. "We cannot stop such an important intervention in basic education. Plenary also said that we have not reached a point where teachers are in their classrooms on time. "In many schools in disadvantaged schools, children are not receiving the amount of teaching that they should be receiving. Discipline and attendance is an issue we have still not cracked," she said. <http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2015/10/12/School-tests-get-go-ahead-te achers-told-to-toe-line> School tests get go-ahead, teachers told to toe line <http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2015/10/12/School-tests-get-go-ahead-te achers-told-to-toe-line> Shenaaz Jamal, Neo Goba and Nivashni Nair, The Times, 12 October 2015 The ANC's National General Council strongly supported the Annual National Assessments despite a backlash by teacher unions. Briefing the media yesterday, Naledi Pandor, a member of the education commission said, "The commission said we must proceed with this important intervention. If there are problems we must review and implement the outcomes. We cannot stop such an important intervention in basic education." The SA Democratic Teachers Union spokesman Nomusa Cembi said they were "greatly disappointed" by the decision. "Ultimately, we want quality education. We have committed ourselves towards the remodelling of ANAs," Cembi said. Last month, SADTU instructed its 250,000 members to boycott this year's assessments. The ANAs were introduced in 2010 to assess numeracy and literacy among pupils in grades 1-9. The commission expressed concern over teachers' punctuality and proposed an inspectorate to evaluate and monitor their behaviour. It also endorsed the introduction of new languages such as Mandarin and Swahili. -- -- You are subscribed. This footer can help you. Please POST your comments to [email protected] or reply to this message. You can visit the group WEB SITE at http://groups.google.com/group/yclsa-eom-forum for different delivery options, pages, files and membership. To UNSUBSCRIBE, please email [email protected] . 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